More than 5,000 people joined in a charity walk in Ho Chi Minh City on August 4 to support Agent Orange/dioxin victims in the lead up to National Day for Vietnamese Agent Orange/dioxin Victims (August 10).
The war has gone by, but the pain still remains with many Vietnamese people, including those directly exposed to Agent Orange/dioxin or born with disabilities caused by the toxic agent. However, instead of accepting the unlucky fate, many AO victims have overcome difficulties and challenges, becoming useful members not only for their families but the society as well.
President of the Vietnam-France Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group Nguyen Thuy Anh paid a visit to France from January 23-24 to seek cooperation opportunities with French partners.
President Vo Van Thuong hosted US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E. Knapper in Hanoi on June 5, during which the State leader affirmed the importance that Vietnam attaches to cooperation between the two countries, describing the US as one of the leading partners of Vietnam.
Minister of Public Security General To Lam called on donors to continue joining hands to build houses for the poor and Agent Orange/dioxin (AO) victims, during the launch of a programme to give housing support to poor households and AO victims in the northern province of Hung Yen on March 13.
A delegation from the Office of the Standing Agency of the National Steering Committee on the Settlement of Post-war Unexploded Ordnance and Toxic Chemical Consequences head by Colonel Le Dinh Vu attended a conference on war consequences and peace held by the US Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington D.C. on October 11-12.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a meeting with Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power in Washington D.C on May 13 (local time), as part of his activities while on a working visit to the US.
Vietnamese and foreign scientists, experts and doctors gathered at a conference on December 20 to seek measures to improve the efficiency of preventive measures against and treatment to diseases related to Agent Orange/dioxin exposure.
The Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) has launched a text-to-donate drive to raise money for AO/Dioxin victims in Vietnam which will last through September 10.
Many newspapers of German have run stories highlighting the lawsuit lodged by Vietnamese French Tran To Nga against 14 multinational chemical companies that produced the toxic chemicals sprayed by the US army in Vietnam during the war, affirming that the plaintiff and her supporters are not deterred by the ruling of a French court that the case fell outside its jurisdiction.
The historic trial initiated by Tran To Nga, a 78-year-old Vietnamese-French woman, against 14 US multinational companies that provided the chemical toxins used by the US Army in the war in Vietnam has received coverage in German media.
The Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) has raised more than 1.5 trillion VND (64.44 million USD) in the last five years to support victims, according to association Vice President Dang Nam Dien.
Vice Chairman of the Vietnam – US Friendship Association Bui The Giang hosted an eight-member delegation from the US’s Friendship Force of Florida (FF Florida) in Hanoi on October 23.
A seminar was held in the southern province of Dong Nai on August 19 to discuss a project to support people with disabilities caused by Agent Orange/dioxin sprayed on seven localities of Vietnam during the war.
US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink hosted a ceremony in Hanoi on June 11 to mark the 243rd Independence Day of his country (July 4), which was attended by Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh.
Although Vietnam and the US have seen encouraging outcomes of cooperation in dealing with war aftermath, there are much for them to do in the field, said Timothy Lieser, senior advisor at the US Senate Appropriations Committee.
Vietnam has always been consistent with its anti-nuclear weapons policy and was one of the first countries to support, sign and ratify the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), President Tran Dai Quang wrote in his greeting message on July 31 to the 63rd World Conference against Atomic & Hydrogen Bombs.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc highly spoke of efforts by the Australia – Vietnam Friendship Society (AVFS) to promote friendship and mutual understanding between people of Vietnam and Australia while talking to AVFS President Kim Sampson on March 15.
MoLISA has proposed presenting gifts worth over 386 billion VND (17 million USD) to contributors to the nation’s revolution on the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.